And Still
by LazyPanther
Summary: While visiting her hometown, Callie Shaw runs into an old friend, Frank Hardy. After years apart, is this an opportunity for a second chance? Or has it been too long?


**DISCLAIMER: **I still don't own the characters or settings; never have, never will. I'm learning to get over it.

**AN: **There's a lot of character study/ thought processes in the beginning but eventually it does end up having dialogue, so please don't give up!

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Callie Shaw slowly made her way around the second floor of the bustling Bayport Mall, taking in the atmosphere and unwilling to let the crowd of weekend shoppers rush her. The familiar sounds of chatter mixed with the rustling of plastic bags, the _cha-ching _of cash registers, and the squeak of footsteps on waxed floors echoed through the brightly-lit, three-story mall.

Callie felt nostalgic as she walked by what used to be her favorite book store. She had spent many days after school here with her friends or by herself, sitting in the store's café and studying for a test or reading a good book.

Rounding a corner, she experienced a pang of disappointment to see a diamond jeweler store where a unique gift shop had once been. Her fingers automatically moved up to finger the necklace around her neck. Her first boyfriend, Frank Hardy, had bought this necklace for her from the quaint shop. She was sad to see it gone.

Frank… It seemed like ever since she had returned to Bayport her ex was always there in the back of her mind.

She snorted at herself. Who was she kidding? He'd been on her mind for the last several years… her pride just wouldn't let her admit it.

Someone jostled her shoulder as they moved past her, bringing her back to the present. Realizing that she was still toying with the necklace, Callie shook her blonde head at her own sentimentality and quickly moved on, tucking the necklace inside her shirt as she went. She had no desire to watch excited couples and nervous boyfriends drool over diamond rings.

She slowed as she came to the center railing that encircled the circumference of the second story. The mall was three stories high with an open center that allowed shoppers to gaze down at the food court tables, which surrounded a sparkling water fountain.

Callie leaned over the railing and checked out the food court. With the exception of a few restaurants that had been replaced by different ones, it looked like she remembered. For a few moments, she stared out seeing nothing but the images in her memory.

_A group of teens, two girls and five boys, sitting at a table and eating burgers. The girls giggled when two of the boys, brothers, started throwing fries at each other, and the battle soon involved the whole table…_

_A tall, blonde girl pulled on the hand of a muscular, blonde boy, hurrying him toward their waiting group of friends, the blonde boy's laughter ringing through the open space…_

_A dark-haired, handsome boy stood next to her by the fountain, his arm around her waist, dark chocolate eyes staring into golden brown eyes, both smiling, leaning in for a kiss…_

_A petite, dark-haired girl bustled through a crowd of people, handing out pamphlets with infectious enthusiasm, determined smile lighting up her pixie-face…_

Callie's smile turned sad when she thought of her late friend, Iola Morton. Callie sighed and pushed herself away from the railing. She didn't know why she had come here today. She'd thought that visiting her old hang-out would help ease her homesickness, but so far it was just depressing her, reminding her of loved ones that were no longer in her life. She should have gone with her mother to visit New York City for the day. Or better yet, she should've stayed in California and not come back to Bayport at all.

Callie took the escalator to the first floor, intending to head for the opposite corner of the food court. She still had one stop to make before she gave up and left.

While riding down to the next floor, her mind again wondered back to Iola. Thinking if Iola made her think of Iola's then-boyfriend, Joe Hardy, and thinking about Joe Hardy made her think about… things she'd rather not think about.

She and Joe had always been a little testy around each other. Iola once told her the problem was that they were just too much alike, which Callie had resented. But for Frank and Iola's sakes, she and Joe had put aside their differences (or similarities, depending on who you asked) and had eventually grown accustomed to each other. She had realized that Joe really did care about Iola, even if he didn't demonstrate it as well as she thought he could, and she and Joe finally learned to share Frank. Somehow, they'd even managed to become genuine friends.

However, something changed when Iola died. Callie didn't blame Joe for Iola dying, like he probably still thought she did. She knew that he had no way of preventing what had happened, just like Frank hadn't. She and Iola had both known exactly what kind of work their boyfriends' father was involved in, and that his sons were following in his footsteps. Both girls had even shared in some of the boys' cases, personally experiencing the risks. They each had had plenty of opportunity to back out if they'd wanted to.

No, she could not hold Joe responsible for Iola's untimely death. Yet, there was one thing that she couldn't quite forget – the look on Iola's face as she'd passed Callie on her way out to the parking lot. That mixed look of anger and hurt had been the last glimpse she'd ever had of her best friend. And even though she'd tried not to hold it against Joe, knowing how guilty and heartbroken he'd felt because of his thoughtless actions, she just hadn't been able to help but feel a little twinge of resentment toward him whenever she thought of how her dear friend must have felt right before she died.

It wasn't fair, and Callie knew that, but still the feeling stayed with her for a few months after Iola's passing. Despite her best efforts to hide it, the barely-there bitterness managed to show through in her actions and words toward Joe, and it was all too easy to slip into the same bickering relationship they'd had before.

After a while, when the gut-wrenching pain of losing a close friend had begun to dull, she was able to let it go, but by then the damage had been done. Joe always felt defensive around her from then on, his feelings of guilt and regret resurfacing whenever she was around, and Frank's protectiveness toward his little brother had flared. She had never felt that fierce quality of Frank's turned against her and it had caused tension between them. Maybe if she'd had better control over her emotions and actions back then, she and Frank would have had a better chance.

Callie stepped off the escalator and turned, going almost on auto-pilot toward her destination, completely lost in her thoughts. She could probably navigate this mall blindfolded if she had to.

Her eyes were drawn to the lights of the movie theater beside of the food court. Her mind immediately began to feed her more memories.

_A couple, sitting in the far back row, more interested in each other than in the movie. His arm around her and her head on his shoulder…_

Callie once again shook her head at herself and looked away.

There had been other factors that had eventually culminated in their break-up. First off, they were each accepted to universities on opposite sides of the country; Callie went to UCLA and Frank went to NYU. Neither was quite willing to sacrifice his or her goals to be closer to each other, and neither expected the other to be the one to make the sacrifice. They both knew that very, very few high-school romances lasted, and even though they cared deeply for each other, logically the odds were stacked against them.

Secondly, Callie had felt that Frank needed to sort out his feelings toward her. They had been each other's first love, and while Callie had been fairly certain that she would always love him, she hadn't been so sure that he returned her sentiments. Oh, she'd known that he had loved her; he had proved that several times over. She just hadn't been sure that he was _in love_ with her. And she had also known that he would probably never admit it if he didn't, not if he thought it would hurt her.

As courageous and bold as Frank could be, he was never so adventurous when it came to romantic relationships. In his life - a life that could be chaotic, taking him and his brother all over the world and consistently into danger - he'd wanted something reliable, something that he could always depend on to be there. His father was hardly ever at home, and his mother and aunt were always preoccupied with their own projects, often traveling for volunteer work or to help some friend or relative. Callie, along with Joe, had been Frank's constant. His relationship with Callie had been safe and comfortable, and he hadn't wanted to disrupt that.

Callie hadn't wanted just safe and comfortable. She'd wanted him to feel the same passion for her that she'd felt for him. So she'd forced him out of his comfort-zone by letting him go. Still, she hadn't closed the door completely, telling him to keep in touch. She'd hoped that he'd come around and want to renew their relationship.

At first, he'd called every week. They'd sent e-mails back and forth on a regular basis. But as the school year had progressed, the calls came less often, the messages shorter and farther apart. By the end of the second year, they had stopped completely.

She hasn't heard from him in over a year now and nearly three years have passed since she last saw him. The thought made Callie sigh heavily as she continued her trek across the food court.

Callie knew she made the right decision, for her and for Frank. But she couldn't help but wonder. If there hadn't been that added strain caused by her unfairness toward Joe, if she'd tried harder to keep the peace, maybe their relationship would've been much stronger. Maybe their relationship would've been strong enough to survive the long distance. Maybe they'd still be together today…

Her wistful train of thought came to a stop when she spotted the familiar sign. Mr. Pizza was still there, around the corner near the south entrance. And it looked the same, right down to the red checkered curtains in the restaurant windows. Callie wondered if Tony Prito was still the manager or if he'd moved on to something else by now. She debated with herself for a moment before deciding to find out.

She was yards away from Mr. Pizza's mall-side entrance when a tall, dark young man exited the restaurant. Callie gasped and came to a dead stop when she recognized him. She blinked hard, imagining for a second that her mind was playing some kind of sick joke on her.

At first glance, Frank Hardy looked exactly the same; handsomely chiseled face, lean and well-toned. Callie didn't wait to see if she could notice any changes. As soon as the shock of seeing him wore off enough to allow her to move, she did the first, most logical thing she could think of to do.

She ducked behind the nearest potted plant for cover, which was immediately followed with feeling like the biggest idiot ever.

She'd wished many times that she could just talk to Frank again and was never brave enough to call. And now here she runs into him in their hometown after years of missing him and all she wants to do is hide!

Embarrassed, Callie considered her options. She could step out from behind the plant and face him like a normal human being… or she could just start walking in the opposite direction and hope he wouldn't recognize her.

She liked option B.

However, as she made her move the man sitting at the table next to the plant pushed back his chair to stand, blocking Callie's path and nearly knocking her over. Callie couldn't help the startled noise that left her mouth and the surprised man immediately turned to her. He began apologizing but Callie was only half-listening. She smiled her acceptance and went to move around him again but didn't get very far.

"Callie? Is that you?"

Callie stopped at the sound of his familiar voice. There was no point in running now; he knew who she was. Resigned, she steeled herself and forced an appropriately surprised expression as she turned to face him.

"Frank Hardy! What are you doing here?" Callie asked, her pulse racing. Frank was standing just a few feet away from her, an amused smile softening his features. She met his eyes and felt her heart clench with a familiar longing.

"I could ask you the same thing. Aren't you still living in LA?" Frank replied, moving closer.

She was formulating a reply when Frank finally closed the distance between them and enveloped her in a warm hug. Callie believed her heart stopped for a moment even as her arms involuntarily came up to reciprocate. The embrace was brief but for Callie it seemed to go on forever and left her breathless.

Frank stepped back and gave her a casual once-over. "You look good, Cal. The California beaches must be treating you well." He smiled at her, brown eyes shining warmly.

Callie struggled to control the blush that threatened to rise at his welcome attention. From anyone else that might have sounded like flirting, but coming from Frank it was just a friendly observation. She tried not to let it go to her head - or her heart. He was just being nice. Surely he must have moved on by now. It was painfully apparent that the same could not be said for her.

Callie cleared her throat and attempted to appear casual.

"Thanks. You, too." His dark hair was a little longer and he was slightly taller, but other than that he looked just as she remembered. "I'm still in LA. I just came for Spring Break, but Mom and Aunt Emma went to the City to shop and I didn't feel like joining them. So I thought I'd travel down memory lane a bit." The last sentence came out sounding a little more melancholy than she intended, and she rushed to cover it up with a more cheerful voice. "What about you? Just visiting?"

Frank was smiling at her affectionately. Callie endeavored to focus on what he was saying and not stare as he answered.

"Yeah, same as you. In fact, we just finished off one of our old favorites at Mr. Pizza. Tastes the same as it did three years ago." He threw a brief look behind him back at the restaurant. "They even have the pictures of us all from high school still hanging on the walls in the lobby."

"Really? I suppose Tony had something to do with that." Callie looked around, expecting to see Joe nearby. The brothers were usually together even now and Frank evidently hadn't been dining alone.

"How's your brother doing?" She crossed her arms over her chest, trying to exude self-confidence even as her stomach tightened in nervousness. What was wrong with her? She shouldn't be letting him get to her like this.

"Joe's doing pretty well. You just missed him. He already headed out for his car. He still parks on the other side of the mall." Frank's smile turned a little sad and Callie didn't have to wonder why. The explosion that killed Iola had taken place in the parking lot outside the entrance they were currently nearest to. Joe wasn't the only one that avoided that parking lot anymore.

Callie nodded her understanding and swallowed hard. "It's hard to come here and not think of her, isn't it?"

Frank sighed. "Yeah… But not all the memories are bad. Remember when Iola pushed Joe into that fountain?" He nodded over Callie's shoulder at the water fountain at the center of the court.

Callie followed his gaze and a startled laugh left her when the memory came back to mind. "That's right! I almost forgot about that. I can't remember what they were arguing about but I can remember the look on his face! Iola felt so bad afterward but Joe was a pretty good sport about it."

Frank chuckled. "Only Iola could get away with something like that."

Callie smile softened with fondness. "Yeah, I guess so."

There was a moment of silence and Callie hurried to continue the small talk before it got awkward. "So… what about you? Are you back in Bayport now?"

"No, I'm still living in New York. Joe and I are sharing an apartment while we finish school. Joe's still got a year to go after this one. We're going to be working with my dad for a while. Dad's actually thinking about retiring early, believe it or not. We'll be taking over the business when he does."

Callie couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "Really? Wow. I bet your mom's happy about that." Callie honestly couldn't picture the elusive Fenton Hardy as a retiree.

Frank chuckled at her skeptical expression. "I know, you and me both. But Mom's determined to make him follow through with it." Frank glanced over his shoulder before turning his complete attention back to Callie.

Callie looked back at the restaurant and remembered her reason for coming to this side of the mall in the first place. "Is Tony still around?"

Frank shook his head. "No. Last thing I heard he was working for the local newspaper."

Callie blinked. That didn't sound like a job Tony would have liked. He was never an office person. "That's surprising."

Frank raised his eyebrows. "You mean, you don't know?"

"Know what?"

Frank's smile was deeply amused. "You're not going to believe this, Cal. Tony married Liz Webling. And since Liz's father owns the paper…"

Callie's mouth dropped open. "What?! You're kidding? Tony and Liz?"

Frank's laughter drew the attention of people nearby as Callie's face scrunched in thought, trying to picture the unlikely couple together. His open enjoyment of her reaction washed away most of the tension in her body and she felt herself begin to finally relax into the conversation.

"That's just… weird."

"Believe me, I thought the same thing when I found out," Frank admitted. "And Joe! You should have seen his face. Remember how he tried to get Liz to go out with him when she first moved here?"

"How could I forget? The Don Juan of Bayport got shot down pretty quickly that time." Callie mentally kicked herself as soon as the words left her mouth, but Frank didn't seem bothered by her good-natured teasing of his brother. He was still laughing and she couldn't help but join him.

"It's really funny the way things turn out sometimes, you know?" Frank remarked. "I mean, who would have thought that Tony would be married already? I used to think for sure that you and I would be married before everyone else and Joe would be busy playing the field. But he's actually pretty serious about Vanessa now. I think he might even beat me to the altar." Frank shook his head in wonder, eyes distant.

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Callie replied quietly. She was suddenly very conscious of the necklace hidden under her turtleneck. She wondered if he would have recognized it. She imagined if he had it would have given her away and he would have known that was exactly what she had once hoped, that they would be married someday. If Callie was honest with herself, she still wanted that.

Her hand subconsciously wandered up to finger the chain through her shirt as she studied Frank with sudden intensity. He was standing here, talking to her at length, acting like they'd never lost touch. He didn't seem to be interested in leaving but was content to visit with her. He smiled at her the same way he always used to. And what we were the odds of her running into him like this in a town populated by thousands? Callie wasn't usually one for overly romantic notions, but maybe it was meant to be. She would regret it if she didn't at least try to take a chance.

She stood tall and took a deep breath, her confidence building. She realized that she was about to ask was abrupt but she had never been a very shy person. And Frank would probably hesitate to bring it up himself so it was up to her to get the topic out there.

"Frank."

He noticed her sudden seriousness and gave her his full attention. Callie found his gaze piercing and she forced herself to look him in the eye.

"Frank, I was wondering… are you seeing –"

But she never got to finish.

"Sorry I took so long! There was a line in the restroom." The breathless exclamation came from a beautiful young woman that suddenly appeared at Frank's side. Her curious blue eyes darted back and forth between Frank and Callie, and Callie didn't miss how her hand slipped comfortably into Frank's. As if it belonged there.

Callie couldn't move. Her words were stuck in her throat and she imagined she must look like a fish out of water, but she just couldn't move. The necklace was now a heavy weight on her chest pressing down on her heart oppressively.

"That's okay. We were just catching up a little while we were waiting for you." Frank smiled tenderly at the newcomer, and Callie's heart plummeted to her stomach. Frank smiled at Callie the same way he always used to… and he'd never smiled at her quite like that. The smile for this newcomer was different. Special.

She already knew what he was going to say next.

"Callie, I'd like for you to meet my girlfriend, Nancy Drew. Nancy, this is Callie Shaw, one of my oldest friends."

Callie saw Nancy's eyes light up in recognition and guessed that Nancy knew that Callie was Frank's ex. The bright lights gleamed off of Nancy's golden red hair as she let go of Frank's hand to offer it out to Callie. Callie automatically accepted it as her mind tried to catch up with the unexpected change of direction the conversation had taken.

"Of course, Callie! It's nice to finally meet you. I've heard about you for a long time." Nancy's smile seemed genuine, which somehow just made Callie feel worse.

"Oh," she replied dumbly. Callie's eyes flicked over to Frank and the honestly excited look on his face at their meeting somehow snapped her out of her shock. Callie turned back to Nancy and forced the brightest smile she could muster, calling on her rusty acting skills to take over. "It's nice to meet you too, Nancy," she lied, quite pleasantly.

"I guess it's a good think I took forever after all. I'm glad you two were able to visit." Nancy turned her attractive face back to Frank and took his hand again. "We're not going to be late, are we?" she asked hesitantly. She glanced back at Callie. "I hate to interrupt but…"

Frank sighed and glanced at his watch. "No, you're right. We should probably get going." He gave Callie an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Callie, but we've got to go. You know how Aunt Gertrude is. She'll have my head if I'm late to her party. She's been planning this for weeks."

Callie could barely concentrate on what he was saying. She nodded silently, feeling numb inside.

Frank's smile faltered and he started to look at little puzzled at her lack of response, so Callie quickly answered.

"Um, yeah. No, you guys, go ahead. Don't let me keep you. I know Aunt Gertrude, alright." She nearly winced at her jumbled reply but kept the smile plastered on her face.

Frank still looked mildly concerned but he nodded slowly. "Okay." He paused. "It was really good to see you again, Cal." He let go of Nancy's hand and seemed to hesitate before moving toward her, as if he was going to hug her again.

Irrational panic overcame her and she backed away slightly, pretending she hadn't noticed his intention. Frank stopped immediately and his eyes narrowed at her intently before they widened again in realization. She ignored that as well.

"Yeah, Frank, it was…" She swallowed hard. "…It was good to see you too." She met Nancy's gaze. "And you, Nancy."

Nancy's gentle smile was touched with sympathy and that was just too much for Callie to handle. She would rather have had to deal with a possessive or irritated girlfriend than a pitying one. It made Callie feel even more pathetic and disgusted with herself. How could she be so _stupid_, so naive? Did she really believe he would still want her after all this time?

"Callie…" Frank started, his beautiful brown eyes looking sad and almost guilty.

She didn't want to hear him apologize. This was her problem, not his, and she would deal with it. Her despair and mortification was quickly turning into self-directed anger and determination to keep her pride and she welcomed it.

"Well, I hope you enjoy the party! Please tell your family I said 'hi'! Take care!" she called out with false cheer. Then, with her head held high despite the stinging behind her eyes and the ache in her heart, Callie turned away from them and headed back toward her car, not even waiting to see or hear their reaction to her hasty farewell. She didn't stop or slow down as she made her way through the dwindling crowd.

This time Callie paid no heed to her surroundings. She didn't dwell on fond memories or indulge in daydreaming. When she made it to the other side and into the parking lot, she finally stopped and took several deep breaths, closing her eyes tightly. She would not cry.

She stood there for a long time, just breathing and not crying. When she opened her eyes, she spotted a trash can. With sudden clarity Callie knew what she needed to do and marched resolutely over to it. She reached up and carefully removed Frank's necklace from around her throat. She stared at it sadly for a minute, contemplating.

She didn't want it anymore. She didn't need anything else holding her back or reminding her of things that couldn't be. Frank wasn't waiting for her, that much was certain. She had convinced herself she'd let him go years ago, but ironically Frank had been the one to let go while she foolishly held tight. It was obvious that she needed to do move on. Getting rid of the necklace wouldn't be enough but it was a good start.

Callie opened her hand and watched the delicate gold chain slip through her fingers into the trash, then walked away. She didn't look back.

THE END

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I really like Callie so I didn't want to do this to her. I had originally planned on having it happen the other way around, where Nancy would run into Frank, get her hopes up, and then find out he's still with Callie. But it just worked out easier with Callie because of her and Frank's history. I might try to finish the other one someday, though. I like picking on Nancy sometimes, just because she always seems to get the good end of the deal and Callie almost always loses... Poor Callie, she's really not as horrid as many seem to think she is.

I have a bad habit of writing out every single step/move/thought that the character goes through, which drags things out and clutters the plot/storyline with too much unimportant detail. I tried to cut some out, but I feel that it still drags. Does anyone have suggestions for how to deal with this?

The story title is borrowed from the song with the same title - "And Still" by Reba McEntire - because it started this idea in the first place. If you're familiar with this song, then you know what I mean.

Please review!!


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